Mohican State Park
Encyclopedia
Mohican State Park is a 1110 acres (4.5 km²) Ohio state park in Ashland County
, Ohio
, United States
, located about 5 miles (8 km) south of downtown Loudonville
, Ohio
. The state park is surrounded by the 4525 acres (18.3 km²) Mohican-Memorial State Forest
. Mohican State Park is located along Ohio SR 3 and Ohio SR 97
. The Clear Fork of the Mohican River
flows through the park and joins the Black Fork
about a half-mile east of the park to form the Mohican River
. The park is open for year-round recreation including camping, hiking, boating, mountain biking, fishing, and picnicking.
There are three separate camping areas at Mohican State Park: the Class A Campground, the Class B Campground, and the Group Camp Area. There is also the Mohican Resort and Conference Center, built in 1974 and now operated by Xanterra Parks and Resorts
, located 10 miles (16.1 km) west of the park.
In the Class A Campground located off of Ohio SR 3, there are 33 full service hook-up sites, 118 electric-only sites, and 10 walk-in tent camping sites. In addition, there are 25 Cottages near the west end of the Class A Campground along the Clear Fork
and three Camper Cabins near the front of Class A. Campers can purchase souvenirs and gifts, camping supplies, some grocery items, and ice cream and coffee at The Commissary located in Class A. A game room is attached to the store, and guests may also sign out basketballs, volleyballs, and horseshoes for their personal use.
The Class B Campground is located approximately two miles west of the Class A Campground, located off of Ohio SR 97
. The Class B Campground is near the covered bridge along the Clear Fork
and has 24 electric-only sites, all of which are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
. This gorge cuts into the sandstone bedrock exposing huge outcroppings and creating steep cliff walls. The gorge is more than one thousand feet wide at the top and over three hundred feet deep. The striking Clearfork Gorge with its towering hemlocks and stands of old-growth white pine are of national significance. The National Park Service has thus dedicated the area as a Registered National Natural Landmark.
The Mohican State Park area was once the hunting grounds of the Lenape
, whose more famous warriors included Janacake, Bill Montour, Thomas Lyon, and James Smith, who was the first white man to come to this area. Smith was captured by the Indians and later adopted into their tribe. Several Delaware villages were located in the Mohican vicinity.
Settlement by non-Indians began at the turn of the nineteenth century, but settlement did not increase until the Indians were driven from the area during the War of 1812. John Chapman, immortalized as Johnny Appleseed, frequented the region during the 1800's, caring for his apple tree nurseries. His name and the date, carved in the wall of Lyons Falls, were an attraction for years. Unfortunately, the etchings have been obliterated with the passage of time.
Mohican State Park was originally called Clear Fork State Park when the Ohio Department of Natural Resources was created in 1949 and the park was created from Ohio Division of Forestry lands. In 1966, the name of the park was changed to Mohican to alleviate confusion between Clear Fork Reservoir
in Mansfield, Ohio
and the state park.
s are also available for the hiker to use.
race.
Malabar Farm State Park
is located approximately 15 miles (24.1 km) west of Mohican State Park, just west of Pleasant Hill Lake.
Ashland County, Ohio
Ashland County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States, and was formed in 1846 from parts of Huron, Lorain, Richland and Wayne Counties. As of the 2010 census, the population was 53,139. Its county seat is Ashland...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, located about 5 miles (8 km) south of downtown Loudonville
Loudonville, Ohio
Loudonville is a village in Ashland and Holmes counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 2,906 at the 2000 census. Loudonville is nicknamed the "Canoe Capital of Ohio" for the many canoe liveries along the Mohican River...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. The state park is surrounded by the 4525 acres (18.3 km²) Mohican-Memorial State Forest
Mohican-Memorial State Forest
Mohican-Memorial State Forest is a state forest in Ashland County, Ohio, United States.-References:...
. Mohican State Park is located along Ohio SR 3 and Ohio SR 97
Ohio State Route 97
State Route 97 is an east–west state highway in the northern portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. Its western terminus is at State Route 309/State Route 61/State Route 19 in Galion, and its eastern terminus is at State Route 3 near Loudonville....
. The Clear Fork of the Mohican River
Clear Fork Mohican River
The Clear Fork is a principal tributary of the Mohican River, 36.6 miles long, in north central Ohio in the United States. Via the Mohican, Walhonding, Muskingum and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 219 square miles...
flows through the park and joins the Black Fork
Black Fork Mohican River
The Black Fork is a principal tributary of the Mohican River, 58.4 miles long, in north-central Ohio in the United States. Via the Mohican, Walhonding, Muskingum and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 351 square miles...
about a half-mile east of the park to form the Mohican River
Mohican River
The Mohican River is a principal tributary of the Walhonding River, about 40 miles long, in north-central Ohio in the United States. Via the Walhonding, Muskingum and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 999 square miles .The Mohican River is...
. The park is open for year-round recreation including camping, hiking, boating, mountain biking, fishing, and picnicking.
There are three separate camping areas at Mohican State Park: the Class A Campground, the Class B Campground, and the Group Camp Area. There is also the Mohican Resort and Conference Center, built in 1974 and now operated by Xanterra Parks and Resorts
Xanterra Parks and Resorts
Xanterra Parks & Resorts is a privately-owned United States park and resort management company based in Greenwood Village, Colorado, controlled by entertainment magnate Phillip Anschutz...
, located 10 miles (16.1 km) west of the park.
In the Class A Campground located off of Ohio SR 3, there are 33 full service hook-up sites, 118 electric-only sites, and 10 walk-in tent camping sites. In addition, there are 25 Cottages near the west end of the Class A Campground along the Clear Fork
Clear Fork Mohican River
The Clear Fork is a principal tributary of the Mohican River, 36.6 miles long, in north central Ohio in the United States. Via the Mohican, Walhonding, Muskingum and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 219 square miles...
and three Camper Cabins near the front of Class A. Campers can purchase souvenirs and gifts, camping supplies, some grocery items, and ice cream and coffee at The Commissary located in Class A. A game room is attached to the store, and guests may also sign out basketballs, volleyballs, and horseshoes for their personal use.
The Class B Campground is located approximately two miles west of the Class A Campground, located off of Ohio SR 97
Ohio State Route 97
State Route 97 is an east–west state highway in the northern portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. Its western terminus is at State Route 309/State Route 61/State Route 19 in Galion, and its eastern terminus is at State Route 3 near Loudonville....
. The Class B Campground is near the covered bridge along the Clear Fork
Clear Fork Mohican River
The Clear Fork is a principal tributary of the Mohican River, 36.6 miles long, in north central Ohio in the United States. Via the Mohican, Walhonding, Muskingum and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 219 square miles...
and has 24 electric-only sites, all of which are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
History of the Area
The erosional forces of the last glacial meltwaters 12,000 years ago hastened the carving of the narrow gorge of the Clear Fork of the Mohican RiverClear Fork Mohican River
The Clear Fork is a principal tributary of the Mohican River, 36.6 miles long, in north central Ohio in the United States. Via the Mohican, Walhonding, Muskingum and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 219 square miles...
. This gorge cuts into the sandstone bedrock exposing huge outcroppings and creating steep cliff walls. The gorge is more than one thousand feet wide at the top and over three hundred feet deep. The striking Clearfork Gorge with its towering hemlocks and stands of old-growth white pine are of national significance. The National Park Service has thus dedicated the area as a Registered National Natural Landmark.
The Mohican State Park area was once the hunting grounds of the Lenape
Lenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
, whose more famous warriors included Janacake, Bill Montour, Thomas Lyon, and James Smith, who was the first white man to come to this area. Smith was captured by the Indians and later adopted into their tribe. Several Delaware villages were located in the Mohican vicinity.
Settlement by non-Indians began at the turn of the nineteenth century, but settlement did not increase until the Indians were driven from the area during the War of 1812. John Chapman, immortalized as Johnny Appleseed, frequented the region during the 1800's, caring for his apple tree nurseries. His name and the date, carved in the wall of Lyons Falls, were an attraction for years. Unfortunately, the etchings have been obliterated with the passage of time.
Mohican State Park was originally called Clear Fork State Park when the Ohio Department of Natural Resources was created in 1949 and the park was created from Ohio Division of Forestry lands. In 1966, the name of the park was changed to Mohican to alleviate confusion between Clear Fork Reservoir
Clear Fork Reservoir
The Clear Fork Reservoir is a reservoir on the Clear Fork river in the area of Richland County and Morrow County in the U.S. state of Ohio. It was designed and built in 1949 to be the main source of drinking water for the city of Mansfield, Ohio....
in Mansfield, Ohio
Mansfield, Ohio
Mansfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Richland County. The municipality is located in north-central Ohio in the western foothills of the Allegheny Plateau, approximately southwest of Cleveland and northeast of Columbus....
and the state park.
Activities
Hiking
There are 13 miles (20.9 km) of hiking trails in Mohican State Park, plus an additional 32 miles (51.5 km) of hiking trails in the adjacent State Forest. The designated mountain bike trails and bridle pathBridle path
A bridle path is a thoroughfare originally made for horses, but which these days serves a wide range of interests, including hikers, walkers and cyclists as well as equestrians. The laws relating to permissions vary from country to country...
s are also available for the hiker to use.
Mountain Biking
An 8.5 miles (13.7 km) mountain bike trail that passes through Mohican State Park and the State Forest was opened to the public in 2005. The trail was created through a partnership between the Mohican/Malabar Bike Club and ODNR. Since then, work has continued to expand the mountain bike trail to a total of 24.5 miles (39.4 km). The trail is open both to mountain bike riders and hikers. Each June the park is home to the Mohican MTB 100Mohican MTB 100
The Mohican MTB 100 is an ultra-endurance 100 mile mountain bike race held annually in early June in North Central Ohio. The course contains over 11,000 feet of climbing on single-track, double-track and dirt roads...
race.
Naturalist Programs
From Memorial Day Weekend through the Sunday of Labor Day Weekend, the park offers daily naturalist activities for its camping and cottage visitors as well as the general public. Activities include movies at the Class A Campground amphitheater on weekends, nature hikes, family games, and grist mill tours. In addition, the Junior Naturalist program is offered for kids from ages 7 through 14. A restored cabin serves as the park Nature Center and is located in the Class A Campground.Malabar Farm State Park
Malabar Farm State Park
Malabar Farm State Park is a state park in Richland County, Ohio, United States, located near Lucas and the Mohican State Park.Nestled in the hills of Pleasant Valley, Malabar Farm was built in 1939 by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Louis Bromfield and was his home until his death in 1956...
is located approximately 15 miles (24.1 km) west of Mohican State Park, just west of Pleasant Hill Lake.